


knock me off my feet

by sseagully



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Aged-Up Character(s), Confident Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feed Adrien Agreste, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Identity Reveal, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Mutual Pining, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:41:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28652934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sseagully/pseuds/sseagully
Summary: Panic flooded his brain, emergency alarms going off in full volume — which somehow led him to stupidly grabbing Ladybug’s (bare!) hand and lacing their fingers together.“I actually already have a date, père,” Adrien said, schooling his expression to hide his internal screaming. Her hand spasmed in his, then gripped back tight enough that he swore his bones creaked. “Abandoning her would be poor manners, wouldn’t you agree?”--Ladrien fake dating, characters aged-up.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 42
Kudos: 209





	knock me off my feet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SilverMoonSky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMoonSky/gifts).



> Hello and welcome to another fluffy one-shot instead of a WIP update feat. sseagully!
> 
> This one is for the wonderful and kind-hearted [SilverMoonSky](https://%5Bbeta's_tumblr_name%5D.tumblr.com/). I'm so sorry this is late, but happy birthday, my friend!
> 
> Big thank you to [sagansjagger](https://%5Bhttps://archiveofourown.org/users/sagansjagger/pseuds/sagansjagger/) and [fictionalinfinity](https://%5Bhttps://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionalinfinity/pseuds/fictionalinfinity/) for beta'ing this! Also, all my gratitude to fictionalinfinity for giving me advice on what to write for Silv. You both rock.
> 
> \--
> 
> Very minor Lila and Gabriel cameos in this. Characters are aged up to 17 y/o.

The rooftop of the Le Grand Paris was decked out in elegant silver and blue decor, reflecting the delicate beauty of a winter wonderland; white fairy lights were strung up in mesmerizing, criss-cross patterns overhead, adding hundreds of stars to the canvas of the dark night sky. 

Outdoor heaters were set up strategically here and there but the crisp winter air still blew by occasionally. The breeze offered up a blessed relief from the thick tweed of Adrien’s suit jacket and the burning warmth of his right arm, which was currently held by a goddess from high on above. All told, it was a beautiful night in the most beautiful city and he had the most beautiful girl in the world accompanying him. It was the perfect set-up for a wholesome and romantic holiday date. 

_If only that were the case,_ Adrien thought to himself bleakly. 

Out loud, he said: “I’m so sorry about this, Ladybug,” for what must have been the twentieth time. He tugged at the knot of his tie and briefly considered taking it off and using it to end his misery once and for all. 

“Please, don’t worry about it.”

Her kindness only made his guilt increase. “No, really, I _know_ I overstepped and that you’re just helping me because you’re too nice —”

“Adrien! Seriously, it’s okay. I promise!”

Ladybug squeezed his arm gently, sending his pulse skyrocketing. In order to meet the dress code for the mayor’s holiday party, she had somehow meddled with her transformation in order to morph her normal bodysuit into a floor-length ladybug-patterned dress. The halter-top cut of her outfit revealed the graceful curve of her neck and the strong definition in her arms. Her hair was pulled into one single side ponytail, tied by a silky red ribbon and classically curled so that the tips of the strands just tickled the line of her collarbone.

‘Beautiful’ wasn’t a strong enough word for her tonight. ‘Stunning’ was perhaps more apt, but still lacked the sense of grandeur and awe that Adrien felt she rightfully deserved. He’d been building up the courage to approach her as his civilian self all night. Of course, the moment he finally edged close enough to recite the greeting he’d rehearsed in his head was the moment his father decided to step in and direct Adrien to escort Mlle. Lila Rossi to the dance floor. Panic had flooded his brain, emergency alarms going off in full volume — which had somehow led him to stupidly grabbing Ladybug’s (bare!) hand and lacing their fingers together.

“I actually already have a date, père,” he’d said, schooling his expression to hide his internal screaming. Her hand had spasmed in his, then gripped back tight enough that he swore his bones creaked. “Abandoning her would be poor manners, wouldn’t you agree?”

Thankfully, some of Ladybug’s luck must have transferred to him because after a beat she had smiled back at him in baffled support (in truth, he was probably the only one in the world that could have interpreted the quizzical line of her brow behind the mask). Gabriel had given them an intense look of _something_ indefinable but hadn’t countered Adrien’s comment about manners, probably due to the semi-public nature of the party.

So in the end, he’d gotten his father to concede, at least for tonight, which was an amazing victory in and of itself. But unfortunately on the flip side, Adrien was now stuck with the awkward aftermath of having to explain himself to a bemused Ladybug.

“No, I was way out of line,” Adrien said. “I should have just been honest that I didn’t want to dance with her.”

“Lila can be pretty persistent, so even if you’d been honest, it might not have done you any good,” Ladybug pointed out. “How could I blame you for trying to avoid a bigger blow-up?”

“You still should! I mean, this is all my fault. I —” _Acted rashly. Panicked and put you in a weird situation. Feel pretty excited with how things ended up, which is awful._

“Adrien, seriously,” Ladybug said, interrupting his downward spiral. “It’s honestly fine. You deserve to have a fun time tonight. I’m really glad I could step in.”

She graced him with a fond smile, one he was helpless to return despite his remaining doubts. It was as if their smiles were connected by an invisible thread, where the lift of her lips tugged at his own.

“Is your father still looking at us?” she asked curiously.

“Uh.”

Adrien cast a surreptitious glance around the party. Thankfully, Gabriel Agreste was a tall man and the top of his carefully coiffed hair was easy to spot in the crowd. From what Adrien could see, his father was now deep in conversation with Clara Nightingale, probably discussing future costuming for her upcoming tour in the spring. He most decidedly was not looking at them.

For a brief moment, Adrien was tempted to lie. Surely once he confirmed his father’s attention lay elsewhere he would lose Ladybug’s warmth and closeness, the ruse no longer necessary. However, the thought came and went in a flash. Adrien felt highly uncomfortable with even the notion of using deception to engender affection. His younger self had constantly tried to needle love out of Ladybug, too new with the concepts of relationships to understand that feelings freely given were the most meaningful of all. It was a lesson that had taken nearly three years to truly sink in and had caused a lot more harm than good in the process.

So pulling back his shoulders, he told her, “Doesn’t look like he’s paying attention anymore,” and braced himself.

“Hm,” was all she said. She stayed nestled into his side, close enough for him to catch hints of her sweet, sugary perfume. He barely dared to breathe in though, certain that any movement at all would break the moment like glass and startle her into letting go. He could feel his face starting to grow warm again.

“And what about Lila?” Ladybug asked.

In response to his desperate bluff earlier, Lila had smiled a smile sharp enough to cut stone and politely excused herself from the conversation. The gentle clack of her heels as she walked away had resonated like a suspenseful drum beat in Adrien’s head, some kind of horrible countdown to whatever she might be plotting next. 

“I don’t see her,” he said after scoping out the nearby vicinity for a flash of the girl’s pastel orange dress and coming up empty.

“That’s a relief,” Ladybug said wryly. “Maybe we got lucky and she decided to leave?”

He laughed and shook his head. “I know you’re Ladybug and all, but I don’t think even _your_ luck is that good.”

She laughed too. “Probably not.” 

Seconds passed where Adrien’s brain stalled and short-circuited, unable to figure out what magical combination of words he could say next to somehow prolong this moment. But then Ladybug tugged gently at his arm and gave a cheeky nod to the direction of the dance floor.

“Take me for a spin?” she asked. 

In a dreamlike state, Adrien followed her to a spot in the middle of the crowd, stepping forward on autopilot to encircle her waist with his hands. Her own came up to rest on his shoulders, bare fingertips searing tiny pinpricks of heat through his two layers of clothing. After a beat, she shifted to bring herself just the tiniest bit closer, arms sliding up to bring her hands to cup the back of his neck. Suddenly, Adrien could scarcely breathe. 

“Is this okay?” Ladybug looked at him shyly beneath the dark fan of her eyelashes. This close, he could see the faint spattering of freckles on the bridge of her nose, the trail of them disappearing up under her mask like a secret. “I just figured we really ought to sell this, you know?”

Adrien swallowed around his heart in his throat. “O-oh yeah. No, this is good. Really good. I, uh, I hope you don’t mind us just swaying. I’m not the best dancer, much to my father’s chagrin.”

“Really? That’s kind of surprising. A gifted fencer like you?”

He laughed. “You would think, right? But alas, fancy footwork for fighting is all I’ve got.”

“Well, don’t worry. I think you’re the best dang sway-er in this whole party,” Ladybug said, winking. “I’d rather sway with you than waltz with anybody else here.”

Feeling his face turn red, Adrien returned her compliment with a lopsided grin. The music drifted on, a soft kind of melody that was recognizable to all in a distant, ambiguous way. Underneath his palms, Ladybug’s dress was textured much like her normal suit, the smooth bumps helping to ground him in the present. He savored the experience of being able to hold her like this — an intimate, affectionate touch that had nothing to do with danger or combat.

An eternity passed in the span of a few minutes. As the song died down, the band immediately jumped into the next tune, a much faster beat with vocals. Most of the couples surrounding them obligingly broke apart to dance along, leaving Adrien and Ladybug to exchange a sheepish look as they followed suit a moment behind everyone else.

Rather than leading them off the dance floor, Ladybug began twirling in place, dress skirt flaring prettily along her legs. A giddy feeling bubbled in Adrien’s chest as he began to shuffle in place, doing his best to follow the rhythm. They giggled together as they grooved out of sync, both slipping into a silent contest to see who could perform the dorkiest moves.

Several songs later found them stumbling away from the crowd, breathless and still laughing. The threat of Gabriel and Lila had long since evaporated from Adrien’s memory, leaving the air between him and Ladybug much more comfortable and congenial. In fact, Adrien could scarcely remember the last time he’d had this much fun at a function like this.

“Do you think we could grab some food?” Ladybug asked. Her beautiful blue eyes reflected the twinkle of the fairy lights above, two self-contained galaxies of stars with their own gravitational pull. “I really worked up an appetite out there.”

“Yes. Of course,” Adrien replied. “This way, mila— _myyyy_ lovely saviour.”

Thank goodness Plagg (who sat nestled in his jacket pocket) was sworn to silence upon threat of a two-month camembert boycott. Adrien knew his kwami would be cackling right now otherwise. 

“Let me,” Adrien insisted once they reached the buffet table and Ladybug began reaching out for a plate. Then, painstakingly, he took her through each food station, waiting for her to tell him what she wanted to try and in what amounts. He gave the utmost care in plating her selections neatly. Ladybug watched him wonderingly with the softest look on her face; the atmospheric lighting of the party nearly tricked him into thinking there was a blush on her face. 

“Thank you,” she said. The two of them located an empty bench set up near the rooftop’s railing, close enough to the edge to see a breathtaking view of the city they both loved and strove to protect.

“I honestly should be the one thanking you,” Adrien replied. Raising a hand to forestall her protestations, he continued, “No, I mean it, seriously. I totally panicked and put you in an awkward spot earlier. I’m sorry for that. But thank you for playing along, it really helped me out. I want you to know, though, you don’t need to stick by my side any longer if you want to go off and enjoy the rest of the party. Now that I’m aware of the dangers here, I promise I can protect myself.” He flashed her his deluxe paparazzi smile, the strongest move in his celebrity arsenal.

Ladybug tilted her head consideringly. After a few seconds, she scowled. “First of all, don’t give me that kind of fake expression, please. It’s a bit insulting.”

Flabbergasted, Adrien’s smile dropped from his face, along with his jaw. Was he really that obvious?

“And secondly, you keep talking like I sacrificed something huge by playing along. Adrien, all I did was smile and nod in agreement! Hardly anything worth thanking. Plus, it’s not like —” Suddenly, she squeaked and turned a red bright enough to nearly match her mask.

“Not like what?”

Her eyes flicked down at the plate of food resting between them as she mumbled, “It’s not like I’d rather be with anyone else at this party.”

 _Is this what a heart attack feels like?_ Adrien idly wondered, certain beyond all measure that his face was now sporting a splotchy blush on par with hers.

“Ahaha!” A nervous, elated laugh burst from his mouth. “Me too. I mean, _no_ , not that I prefer myself. That would be kind of weird, right? Er, I just mean — I don’t want to be with anyone else either!”

Adrien’s jacket pocket trembled. He none-too-gently rapped his knuckles against the Plagg-shaped lump.

Far from looking weirded out by his word vomit, Ladybug seemed almost charmed. She giggled into her hand. For the first time tonight, Adrien noticed the pale pink nail polish adorning her fingernails and felt his heart flutter at seeing all these little personal touches. It was like every new detail revealed to him made him fall in love with her all over again. Years of pining after this woman and still every piece of information, no matter how small, was a treasured prize that he couldn’t help but hoard like a miser.

“So I guess we’re in agreement, then,” Ladybug said shyly. “I’ll continue to act as your date?”

“I-I think so, yes,” Adrien agreed, absolutely dumbstruck.

“Um, here.” Ladybug held up two forks and passed one over. She gestured at the heaping plate of food. “We should eat up.”

Part of him wanted to protest that he had gathered this meal for her, not for himself. But another larger part of him was over the moon at the idea of sharing with her — as if they were a real couple! — and easily stifled all other objections. 

Their menu ranged from creamy chicken liver pâté spread on crisp biscuits to thick slices of quiche Lorraine; they then enjoyed a mix of hard and soft cheeses stolen from the charcuterie section and several smoked salmon crème fraîche tarts, which were so good they both nearly licked their fingers clean. 

Almost immediately Adrien realized that pretty much all of these dishes threatened death to his career as a model, per his nutritionist, but he just couldn’t bring himself to care as he and Ladybug began tasting and discussing each bit. They easily fell into a rhythm and cadence very similar to the dynamic of when they both were in costume — except it was even better tonight, somehow. It was difficult to put a finger on exactly why, though.

Perhaps… perhaps it was because Ladybug was actually opening up to him? They weren’t having the deepest conversations, sure, but she was relaxed in a way that he rarely saw when she was battling akumas or out on patrol. It was a different kind of vulnerability than he was used to, one that alluded to the person she could be outside of the metaphorical cape and mask. As he ate, he greedily took mental notes to examine later in further detail. 

It was only after they demolished the last bit on their plate, a healthy serving of the most decadent crème brûleé known to man or cat, that Adrien belatedly realized he should ask about his own absence. That it was probably weird he hadn’t asked already.

“So, ah, where is your partner? I honestly expected you two to arrive attached at the hip.” 

“Unfortunately, Chat had a prior engagement,” Ladybug said with a stale smile. Adrien fought to keep from cackling aloud, knowing that she was probably remembering his actual words, which had been:

“Un _-fur-tuna-_ tely, milady, I am unable to attend be- _claws_ I have a _purr_ -ior engage- _meow-_ t.” 

Her face had been _priceless_ when he’d said that to her the other night.

Swallowing back his laughter, Adrien tried to mask the chuckles that got loose with a cough. “I’m sorry to hear that. I was looking forward to meeting him. After all, he seems like an… interesting _chat_ -racter.”

Ladybug startled. “What?”

_Don't push your luck here, Agreste._

“I said, ‘he seems like an interesting character.’”

“Um. Yes,” Ladybug said suspiciously. “He is. Definitely keeps me on my toes, that cat.”

It was hard not to grin at that. Instead, he tapped on his chin thoughtfully. “But I guess I should be grateful he didn’t show up, in the end.”

“Really? Why?” 

“Well.” Adrien rubbed at the back of his neck bashfully. “Because I imagine if he _were_ here, he’d be the one by your side tonight, not me.”

His jacket pocket trembled again, and Adrien swore to himself that he was going to buy Plagg dairy-free cheeses only for the rest of eternity. Thankfully, Ladybug barely noticed his squirming kwami. Her soft gaze was entirely fixated on his face, the side of her jaw lit up from the glow of the city before them. He suddenly felt as breathless as she looked.

“Chat’s a wonderful partner and a wonderful friend,” she admitted gently, which sent a flash of pride zipping through him. “But I’m glad we got to meet up like this, too. You’re just —”

Adrien’s very heart hung onto the break in her words, precariously perched and ready to fly. “I’m just…?”

“Different,” she whispered. “Special.”

Special. Ladybug thought he was _special!_

“And you’re always wearing top-notch designs!’’ She made a teasing, sweeping gesture at his attire, as if that alone proved her point.

“Oh, thank you,” Adrien said, blinking in slight surprise at the subject change. To him, the suit was nice but honestly nothing special. He’d worn countless others at various events and shoots — never the same outfit twice but all of them still feeling the same nonetheless. Sure, he felt comfortable in his current style but in the end, it felt more that he had adapted to the suit rather than the suit actually matching who he was as an individual. A second skin by necessity, not personal preference.

“Hm.” Ladybug raised a brow at his unenthused response, looking intrigued. “You don’t sound like you agree.”

“Well. In all honesty, this wasn’t my first choice tonight,” he said with a sheepish shrug of his shoulders. “I actually tried to pick my own outfit for once but my father shot me down pretty quickly.”

“Oh? What did you want to wear instead?”

A jolt of excitement hit him hard as he fumbled for his phone to show her the pictures. “Wait till you see this, Ladybug! My friend is, like, insanely talented, you won’t believe it. Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I’m actually not sure you’ve ever met her? Anyway, she’s absolutely amazing. A few days ago, she showed me this suit jacket she designed — apparently she used my measurements, since I’m the only male model she knows, lucky me, right — and it is _beyond_ gorgeous. I nearly begged her to let me borrow it for tonight’s party but I knew convincing my father was going to be near impossible and I didn’t want to get her hopes up.” 

As he spoke, he cycled through the three pictures Marinette had texted him, taking a moment to admire each one anew. The jacket fabric was a dark, dark green and was moderately cut with thin lapels. Overlaying the entire piece was a frenetic and spontaneous network of black velvet, only a few shades darker than the green it covered. The spindly pattern wasn’t quite a pattern, in reality, the lines too haphazard and chaotic for it to have any recognizable uniformity. But the disorganized design didn’t detract from the look; instead it added a spin to the formal ensemble he’d never seen before, a sort of contained wildness that was both subtle and eye-catching at the same time.

Adrien had fallen in love with it instantly; in his heart, it reminded him of his signature Cataclysm, and seemed the best representation of his civilian career and his superhero powers meshed together — a combination he never knew he needed until that very moment. He had done everything but flat-out beg his father to let him wear Marinette’s design, but unfortunately to no avail. Gabriel hadn’t even deigned to look at the pictures before dismissing the idea entirely, which had been disheartening but ultimately unsurprising.

Suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed by his intense fanboying, Adrien chuckled and said, “I’m sorry I’m ranting so much, Ladybug, I just. I’m really in love with this piece. It’s the first outfit that feels like it fits who I am. It’s almost like it was made for _me,_ specifically. I know, I know, that’s super narcissistic of me, thinking a girl as incredible as Marinette would ever create something this intricate while thinking about a boring guy like me, but —”

A strange sound broke through Adrien’s rambling and brought him to a stop. It took a minute for him to pinpoint the source: a beet red, stunned Ladybug, who had her ponytail in a near death grip as she stared at his phone in disbelief.

“Ladybug…?” Adrien said hesitantly. He’d never quite seen her like this before. Was she _that_ impressed by Marinette’s work?

“Yes?” she squeaked. Bizarre. He was starting to feel a bit concerned.

“What, uh, what do you think? Awesome, right?”

“Yesh, it’s peally retty. No, um.” The look on her face transformed from initial shock to slow-dawning panic. “I-I — it’s a super cruel racket! I MEAN, a _cool jacket._ Marinette’s hot — aaaah, Marinette’s _NOT_ too bad! Sorry, I didn’t mean to say she was hot, she is so not hot at all. Like, she’s okay, I guess? Passable? Maybe? I dunno. Anyway, yup, real talent, that Marinette, shanks for tharing with me!” 

A sound not unlike a dying keysmash escaped from her throat. 

Adrien could only stare. 

Perhaps it was because they were just talking about Marinette and so she was fresh in his mind. Perhaps it was because he had spent years in lycée trying to decipher Marinette’s strange, babbling speech, oftentimes replaying their conversations in his head on repeat. Perhaps it was because he finally recognized that the joyful energy he had just felt in talking about Marinette was the exact same kind of excitement he felt every time he went to see his superhero partner.

He knew that babble. He knew this girl. Not Ladybug, or rather, not Ladybug alone — but the whole picture. The girl who had created the champion protector of Paris. The girl who had stolen his heart and never once let him have it back.

All this time, it had been her. It had always been her. It would always be her. 

It would always be — 

“Marinette?”

Marinette’s posture grew rigid like ice. He saw her hand go to her waist where her Ladybug yo-yo dangled from her hip like a chic accessory, and realized suddenly that he had minutes, if not seconds, before she made a run for it.

“Don’t go,” Adrien blurted out in a rush. “Please. Um, please, just listen to me for a second, okay?”

“I-I-I—”

“Deep breaths,” he told her gently, then took a few breaths of his own to steady his nerves. “It’s okay. I promise, it’s okay, Mar — Ladybug. I won’t tell anyone, I swear. I swear it on my mother’s memory.”

Marinette seemed to snap back to herself in that moment, finally shedding some of her panic to shoot him an incredulous look. Adrien met her eyes firmly, no matter that his hands were shaking in his lap or that his soul was quivering in the confines of his chest. He did not run from her. How could he? From day one, he’d been destined to run _toward_ her, not away. Never away.

“When did you figure it out? Did you know this whole time?” she asked warily.

“No. It was just now. Hearing you talk like, well, like _yourself_ , it suddenly clicked with me. It’s like a veil was lifted and I could finally see you clearly.”

Groaning faintly, Marinette let out a small, helpless laugh. “Ugh. To think, in the end that’s all it took. Me babbling like a moron. What a disaster.”

“Come on. Are you really _bugging_ out about this?” Adrien asked innocently.

Marinette squinted at him with, frankly, an unfair amount of judgment. “Did you just pun at me, Adrien? Seriously? Now, of all times?”

He let loose a wild grin, an expression so unlike his normal temperament, Marinette nearly recoiled in shock. “Actually, hear _meow_ -t, now is the _purr-_ fect time for puns. At least in my o- _paw-_ nion.”

His partner sat speechless. Adrien winked. He could see the beautiful moment it all came together.

“No way,” Marinette breathed. “ _No way!_ It can’t be, it’s—“

“Im- _paw_ -ssible?” he asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.

With an incoherent cry, Marinette launched herself forward and threw both arms around his neck in a dizzying flash of red. The forgotten plate between them fell to the ground in a faraway clatter. Adrien accidentally bit his lip hard enough to bleed but it didn’t phase him in the slightest. To the contrary, the copper tang in his mouth tasted like victory after a well-fought fencing match; like wielding the power of destruction in a perfectly executed Cataclysm; like freedom in the sky as he bounded along Paris’s skyline with his best friend by his side. 

Marinette pulled away; Adrien was hard pressed to let her, every fiber of his being longing to chase after her. Strangely, as she sat back her hand went back to her yo-yo on her waist, pulling it free.

“Going somewhere?” he asked, mystified.

“I thought I probably should whisk you away _before_ I kiss you at this very crowded, very public party with your father in attendance,” she said sheepishly, then paused. Her eyebrow raised in a teasing challenge. “Only if you’re okay with that, of course.”

Adrien reached out and placed his hand on top of hers, dropping the yo-yo gently in between them. Then he threaded their fingers together in a tight grip.

“I am more than okay with that,” he whispered gently, then leaned in to meet her smile with his own.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed (especially you, Silv)!
> 
> I met Silv through the Miraculous Fanworks discord server where a large number of fans and content creators can congregate and chat about all things MLB. If you're interested, feel free to join us [here!](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks/) \-- all are welcome!
> 
> Until next time,  
> Gully


End file.
